New to weights - looking for advice/help/thoughts

blytheny

Trying to get back after it after an injury to my foot, and issues with my knees (God, your 40's are rough) so - although I'm able to do light cardio (aka eliptical) I want to primarily focus on strength training to help me start to get fit again. (I will slowly work in yoga/pilates, but that's another discussion)
I've had some great advice from a friend who lifts (another woman) and I will definitely check in with the PT at my gym, but I thought I'd come here for advice, as well, from those of you who started out new, like me, and have found what works.
I am currently going to the gym 3-4x/week, warming up on the eliptical for about 10 minutes and then focusing either on arms or legs, trying to give each muscle group a day off b/w lifting. I then finish with 20-30 min on the eliptical, just to keep the "fat burn" going, or at least that's how it's been explained to me. I do abs every time I go to the gym, as my ab regimen isn't a particularly tough one - medicine ball twists, regular & oblique crunches, planks and occasionally crunches on the stability ball.
I know more arm exercises, as I'm just more familiar with them - I'm slowly learning more legs, but have to be careful with squats/lunges and that family of mvmts, as they bother my knees if I push it. (My ortho said to not even go near the leg press machines)
I'm watching my calorie intake - MFP has me at 1380 currently - and I eat back about 50% of my calories on heavy calorie-burning days, and I try to increase my protein on those days, as well.
My biggest "not so great" factor is that I work 12hr nights 3-4x/week, and that sets me back, metabolism/sleep wise, and I've found as I've gotten older that it really does hinder weight loss.
So... that's been my starting point over the last month... I've already upped my weights once, I was told to up them once I can easily do 3 sets of reps at the weight I am currently at.
All that being said -- any and all advice welcome, and thanks in advance!!

tillerstouch

I would defiantly get a lifting program together. A trainer can help with this or websites like bodybuilding.com.

If you're in a calorie deficit your goal really should be muscle renting because it's hard to gain serious strength in a deficit.

As for elliptical for for fat burn cardio isn't necessary to lose weight all that matters is you're in a calorie deficit. So if you need the cardio to help you stay in a deficit then it's helping but you don't need cardio for "fat burn". Although obviouslu the cardio is great for your heart.

Finally for your ab routine you don't need to do abs every workout. You'd be much better off working them to exhaustion once myabe twice a week then just doing a little but every day. Remember your abs are a muscle too treat them like you would any other muscle group.

Rubyayn

Jaime Eason has a great beginners program on body building.com called live fit. An appointment with a personal trainer is never a bad idea either. They can evaluate your specific situation and offer advice. I agree with a lot of what was said above. The only extra thing I'd add is that your calorie goal is awfully low. I don't know your stats, so it might be right, but I'd personally eat back all of my workout calories with a goal that low. Scooby has a great calculator for figuring out your BMR and TDEE. Very valuable information to have.

Cherimoose

Rubyayn wrote: »

Jaime Eason has a great beginners program on body building.com called live fit.

Just want to say that Eason's program is a high-volume body part split, which makes it for advanced bodybuilders.. definitely not for beginners in their 40s.
I agree about seeing a personal trainer.. preferably one with a good certification (NASM, ACSM, etc) and injury experience.
As far as cookie-cutter programs go, New Rules of Lifting for Life is a good one for the over-40 crowd.

middlehaitch

Hi @blytheny I am an older lifter (62). I have only recently moved from Nerdfitness' body weight routine to a progressive compound lifting programme. After really researching the popular programmes posted on this site, i decided to do the AllPro routine instead of a typical 5x5. Both are done 3 alternating days a week.

The AllPro includes all the basic full body moves but works on a rep increase (8-12) rather than a weight increase. It is a little slower to progress, but I am in no rush. At my age I find being sure of the weight I am moving, and avoiding injuries (I work alone) more important than a fast progression.

One does not really need to do specific ab work if one is following a compound programme.

Remember lifting heavy is lifting what is heavy for you. And that for most programmes starting light, hand weights, and getting your form correct is better than trying to lift what the guy next door is lifting.

I like using the rowing machine for 10-15 minutes as a warm up as it activates just about all of ones muscles.

Logging accurately and using the appropriate measuring device will help you lose at the rate you entered into MFP (barring untreated medical conditions).

Age really has little to do with losing weight. As long as you remember that your activity level was naturally higher in your 20's than it is in your 40's- you have to eat to the activity level you have now; or have the activity level that you had then. It is only around a 50 cal a decade difference in caloric need.

Cheers, h.

blytheny

Thank you so much to all of you, I really appreciate the input. This is a new view on exercise for me, with a lot to be learned.

Another question - do you take days off b/w lifting, or just change muscle groups and go back - to - back days? With my crazy work schedule, sometimes I have to go consecutive days, but other times I can split it up... it changes week to week. But if you FEEL physically exhausted the day after a heavier workout, should you give your body the day off?

Thanks!

tillerstouch

blytheny wrote: »

Thank you so much to all of you, I really appreciate the input. This is a new view on exercise for me, with a lot to be learned.

Another question - do you take days off b/w lifting, or just change muscle groups and go back - to - back days? With my crazy work schedule, sometimes I have to go consecutive days, but other times I can split it up... it changes week to week. But if you FEEL physically exhausted the day after a heavier workout, should you give your body the day off?

Thanks!

The lift routine I'm doing is a 5 day split. So I have 2 days when I'm not working muscle groups (although those 2 days I do cardio and abs). If you get on a lifting program it'll most likely break down days into muscle groups. For instance mine does chesy, arms, back, shoulders, legs. This way in a week I only work one muscle group per lift session, which means each muscle group gets a lot of days off.

Long story short, I go back to back lifting days but each day focuses on a different muscle group.

singingflutelady

I do a 3 day full body program. I did strong lifts for a while and now do the Texas method. M-w-f

ilex70

Hi, found this thread looking for some advice myself on choosing a starting routine.

Anybody with pros/cons or reasons why you went with a particular full body program?

I looked at AllPro and was put off by the heavy/medium/light thing because it seems like it would be difficult to fiddle around with the amount of the weights that much.

Starting Strength seems the simplest, if I'm keeping them straight.

Stronglifts 5X5 looks a lot like Starting Strength, but more reps.

Ice Cream just generally looks more complicated.

Also looked at one called Fierce 5 that seems to have a little more variety than Stronglifts/Starting Strength, but then in FAQs said it isn't good for women working in a deficit (cutting).

I've got an appointment with a PT Wednesday and I'm trying to figure out what I want to focus on. There is a split program I'm interested in, but I think I need to do full body first.

Thanks

ETA: Might as well throw in Strong Curves, though some of the exercises seem a bit silly...easy stuff like an old calisthenics routine in PE class.

https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1rVGDh-
z9Np_LI0ZN388rsDrOTMdA9Vrf8-0BdjNWAFU/edit#gid=323879065

Oh, and "Hi, OP." I'm 45 with bad knees (arthritis/torn mensicus), PF that flares up, and carpal tunnel in my hands and wrist. We soldier on.

BalletAndBarbells

I'm a 39 year old female with decidedly dodgy joints and particularly knees and I have just started doing stronglifts. I picked it because I wanted a full body compound exercise routine, it looked pretty simple to master and I had good feedback from others about it. I'm only in week 3 and my only prior lifting experience was in group circuits classes and les mills body pump classes which I've been doing for about a year.
I am finding it easy to fit in, easy to manage and am seeing steady progress. I started out with 30kg squats and I'm almost up to 50kg, same for Deadlifts. I have gotten from 20kg rows to nearly 40kg but I'm thinking I might change to seated cable row soon as I'm told it's easier to progress the weight without risking back injury if your form slips a little. I have progressed from the empty bar (20kg) for bench press to nearly 30kg and only up to 25kg OHP as I find that more challenging.
I'm enjoying stronglifts and find it easy to follow (even with pretty crazy work schedule) but I think you need to find whatever suits you.